What if traveling is not a way to escape from everyday life, but the best way to understand it? This is the question that Semen Klenov begins his story with.
No plans are the best way to start your journey
In 2025, he visited 13 countries, including Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Belarus, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. But this is just the beginning of his journey around the world.
He hitchhiked across Kazakhstan from west to east, rode a bicycle more than a thousand kilometers across Thailand from Phuket to Bangkok, and traveled all the way across Vietnam from north to south in just one week. For him, traveling is not about finding exotic places or collecting experiences. It’s about preserving a vivid perception of the world. He stops where others don’t, talks to people who are rarely listened to, and captures the state of the world around him.
In 2026, Semyon plans the next route – about 7,000 kilometers in a straight line from China to Jerusalem. The path will pass through China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Israel.
He plans to travel by hitchhiking, a method that has become familiar to him. His luggage is simple: a tent and a minimal set of warm clothing. There is no expedition team, no escort, and no pre-planned conditions; it’s just about the journey and paying attention to the surroundings. His camera doesn’t enhance the reality; it’s present in it, alongside him, wherever he goes. This is why his stories don’t resemble traditional travel content. There is no ostentatious enthusiasm, but there is genuine respect for the place, the person, and the moment.
Profession as a discipline
In parallel with his travels, Semyon Klyonov has been working in the field of cinema and digital technologies for over 15 years. Since his teenage years, he has been involved in production work on film sets as an assistant and technical specialist.
His expertise covers a wide range of knowledge related to 3D graphics and artificial intelligence. He uses Blender, Unreal Engine, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe After Effects, Nuke, Substance 3D Painter, and AI tools for media production automation in his work.
His work is characterized by attention to light, space, and the physics of the frame. Every element feels real, even if it is completely created in a digital environment. In the industry, he is valued for his systematic approach and high standards of quality. He builds working pipelines, works with teams, and establishes long-term standards for visual storytelling that prioritize results over speed.
The road of a lifetime
While traveling to different cultures, Semyon does not seek superficial comparisons. His interest is focused on how real people live, what they believe in, and where they find meaning in their existence. He openly shares his views and carefully studies Islam and Muslim culture, viewing interactions with people along the way as an important source of personal experience and understanding.
For him, spiritual search is about attention, compassion, and the ability to see a person, not a system or labels. For him, history, culture and religion are not objects of evaluation, but a space of dialogue. This view is naturally reflected in his works.: without edification, without moralizing, and without trying to convince anyone. Rather, it is an offer to take a closer look and understand what is happening.
His story is not about extremism or giving up his usual life. It is about making conscious choices in his profession, travel, and worldview. He does not offer ready-made recipes or encourage people to follow his path, but he shows that a fulfilling life begins when a person stops putting off their own questions.
Semen Klenov shares more about his travels on his YouTube channel, where he shares stories, observations, and personal experiences.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@semenklenov
Portfolio: https://semenklenov.ru/
